Minnesota vs. Penn State Weekend Preview

The No. 2 ranked Minnesota Gophers return to Mariucci this weekend to face Penn State after a bye week. The Gophers are 21-4-5 overall and 10-2-2 in conference play. Penn State is 6-20-2 overall and 2-11-1 in the B1G Conference. Saturday night the Gophers are honoring our five seniors. The seniors this year have won the inaugural North Star College Cup that was played in January and also were a part of the Hockey City Classic at TCF Bank Stadium. In 2012, these players were able to compete in the NCAA Frozen Four. Along with that, they won back-to-back MacNaughton Cups as the WCHA champions.

Justin Holl (12) Michael Shibrowski (1) Tom Serratore (14) Jake Parenteau (6) Nate Condon (16)

Justin Holl (@12JHoll)
Defenseman Justin Holl was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He was drafted in the 2nd round, 54th overall. He played high school hockey at Minnetonka and junior hockey with the Omaha Lancers (USHL). As a Golden Gopher, Holl has played in 131 games and is 7-26--33.

Michael Shibrowski (@shibby_01)
Michael Shibrowski goal-tended for the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights in high school. He played junior hockey for the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL). As a Gopher, Shibby has played in 6 games. His career SV% is .927 and his GAA is 1.81. Earlier this season, Shibrowski notched a shutout against Mankato on his birthday.

Tom Serratore (@Serratore1489)
Forward Tom Serratore went to Pine Creek High School in Colorado. He played junior hockey for the Youngstown Phantoms and the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL). While playing for Minnesota, Serratore has played in 129 games and is 14-7--21.

Jake Parenteau (@jacobjames6)
Defenseman Jake Parenteau went to Chisago Lakes High School. He played junior hockey for the Alaska Avalanche (NAHL). Parenteau has played in 102 games as a Gopher and is 4-15--19 during his time here. Parenteau and Serratore joked that they hope to be a 'package deal' if they go on to play in the NHL.

Nate Condon (@Condo16)
Captain Nate Condon was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He was drafted in the 7th round, 200th overall. Condon played high school hockey for Wausau West in his hometown in Wisconsin. He played junior hockey for Fargo Force (USHL). As a Gopher, Condon has played in 148 games and is 37-59--96, just four points away from reaching the milestone of 100 career points.

B1G Tournament
This will be the final series played at Mariucci this season as the B1G Tournament is taking place at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Gophers will be practicing at Ridder Arena from here on out to adjust to the smaller rink size. You can find B1G Tournament single-game tickets for sale here.

Fourth Line Spark
Connor Reilly (@CReilly81), Gabe Guertler (@gabeguerts8), and Vinni Lettieri (@19Lettieri95) chose a good weekend to break out. Reilly had an assist on Friday night against Michigan and scored a goal to help complete the sweep on Saturday night in Minnesota's 4-1 win. Guertler notched his first career goal on Friday night and followed that up with an assist on Saturday night. Lettieri had an assist in Friday night's game and notched his first career multi-point game on Saturday night with two assists.

Freshmen
The Gophers are ranked No. 2 for most goals scored by a freshman class in the NCAA. The Minnesota freshman have scored 43 out of the 106 goals so far this season. Boston College is the only team that has more goals scored by a rookie class with 44 goals. Michael Brodzinski (@Mbrodzinski20) hasn't played since January 24 against St. Cloud State. However, all Gophers are healthy and cleared to play in this weekend's series.

Good luck to the Gopher Men's Hockey team as they face the Penn State Nittany Lions this weekend. They play Friday at 8:00pm and Saturday at 6:00pm. Friday night's game will be broadcasted (watch) on BTN and Saturday night's game will be on NBC Sports Network. Friday night's game will be streamed (listen) on 1500 ESPN and Saturday night's game will be on MyTalk 107.1.

Family > Everything

Congratulations to the No. 2 ranked Minnesota Gophers who swept Michigan at home this past weekend. This was the first time they have swept Michigan since December 5/6, 1986. Gophers won 5-3 on Friday with goals from Justin Kloos (@jkloos15), Hudson Fasching (@Hfasching22), Taylor Cammarata (@Cammy12Scores), Seth Ambroz (@Ambroz17), and Gabe Guertler (@gabeguerts8). This was Guertler's first collegiate goal, very special for him.

Gabe Guertler (27)

They completed the sweep on Saturday with a 4-1 victory with goals from Sam Warning, Connor Reilly (@CReilly81), Nate Condon (@Condo16, who is now 37-59--96, four points away from 100 career points), and Hudson Fasching.

Adam Wilcox and Hudson Fasching earned B1G weekly honors as the Number One and Number Two Stars, respectively. 

The Gophers are off this week, they return next weekend for their last home series of the season. They play Penn State on Friday February 28 at 8:00 PM and Saturday March 1 at 6:00 PM. You can catch Friday night's game on BTN and Saturday night's game on NBCSN. You can also listen to both games on 1500 ESPN.

Gopher Hockey is often associated with the tradition it holds in the state of Minnesota. Gopher Hockey has provided a family and a community for coaches, players, and fans alike. Everyone says the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree and that is certainly true for some current Gopher Hockey players and coaches. 

The Lucia's

Although Don Lucia played college hockey for the University of Notre Dame, he became head coach of the Minnesota Gophers during the 1999-2000 season. He has two daughters and two sons. One of his sons, Tony (@tLUCCI_12), played college hockey for the University of Minnesota, while Mario (@MLucia2293) plays for Lucia's alma mater, Notre Dame. While Tony was at Minnesota during the 2007-2010 seasons, he played in 160 games. His overall record was 34-48--82 and he captained the Gophers during the 2009-2010 season.

The Potulny Brothers
Assistant Coach, Grant Potulny (@potulny), was a former Gopher Hockey player before becoming a coach at the University. Grant played during the 2001-2004 seasons at Minnesota while his younger brother Ryan followed suit and played during the 2004-2006 seasons. Grant played in 146 games and was 68-48--116, and his brother Ryan played in 100 games and was was 68-50--118.

The Parenteau's
Senior defenseman Jake Parenteau (@jacobjames6) is related to two former Gophers. His father, Tom Parenteau, played for Minnesota during the 1982-1985 seasons. His uncle, Mike Anderson, played for the Gophers during the 1982-1986 seasons. Tom played in 95 games as a Gopher and was 12-41--53 during his time here. His uncle Mike played in 110 games as a Gopher and was 18-28--46. As a senior, Jake has played in 102 career games so far and is 4-15--19 during those games.

The Reilly Family
Not only do the three Reilly brothers play for the Gophers, but their father, Michael Reilly, also did. Michael Reilly played for the Gophers during the 1980-1981 seasons. He played in 36 games and was 9-12--21 during that time. His three sons now play for the Golden Gophers. Connor and Ryan (@rreilly08), the twins, attend the University of Minnesota alongside their younger brother Mikey (@mreilly93). Connor missed last season due to an injury, but has played in 26 games and is 5-5--10 so far in his collegiate career. Ryan has played in 13 games and is 1-1--2 in his career. Mikey has played in 67 games so far in his collegiate career and is 11-25--36. As described by all three of them, it's an amazing experience playing on the same team as their brothers, and it's great that they're able to share this experience together.

The Reilly Brothers

The Bischoff's
Freshman Jake Bischoff (@jakebischoff22) followed in the footsteps of his father, Grant. Grant Bischoff played for the University of Minnesota during the 1988-1991 seasons. During his time at the U, he played in 180 games and was 80-81--161. Jake, in his first year, has played in 24 games and is 3-4--7 thus far in his collegiate career.

The Brodzinski's
Michael Brodzinski (@Mbrodzinski20), a freshman on the Gopher Hockey team, chose the University of Minnesota path. Mike, his dad, originally chose this path as well. Mike played for the Gophers during the 1984 season. He played in 1 game and had 1 assist during that game. He then transferred to St. Cloud State University, where Michael's brother, Jonny, currently attends college and plays hockey. Michael Brodzinski has played in 19 games and is 5-5--10 so far in his collegiate career.

Lettieri (And Nanne's)
Vinni Lettieri's father, Tino, is a former professional soccer player. Although Vinni (@19Lettieri95) played soccer and hockey growing up, he chose hockey as his focus before his junior year of high school. Lettieri is no stranger to the hockey world as his grandfather is the Minnesota hockey legend Lou Nanne (@lou_nanne). Lou Nanne played for the Gophers during the 1961-1963 seasons. He played in 81 games and was 22-52--74 with the Gophers. Nanne went on to compete in the 1968 Olympics. He also played, managed, and coached the NHL's Minnesota North Stars. Nanne's son and Lettieri's uncle, Marty, also played for the Gophers. Marty played for the Gophers during the 1986-1988 seasons. Marty was 9-12--21 during his time as a Gopher. Lettieri, a freshman on the team, has played in 26 games so far this season and is 1-5--6 in his collegiate career.

As kids grow up, they idolize their heroes. Oftentimes these heroes are someone in their family. Many of these players and coaches are at Minnesota continuing on their family name. The family ties that are currently present in the Gopher Hockey community alone is amazing. So many great players and coaches have been produced from this hockey family. The Minnesota Hockey culture has brought so many people together over the years between the coaches, players, and the fans. Whenever asked about Gopher Hockey, many people bring up the culture and atmosphere of the program. It's amazing to see how many families have experienced this and have kept the Gopher Hockey tradition alive.

Always remember,

Family > Everything 

Minnesota vs. Michigan Weekend Preview

The No. 2 ranked Minnesota Gophers will face the No. 10/11 ranked Michigan Wolverines this Valentine's Weekend. This will be the first meeting of these two teams this season, and the first since the 2010-11 season. They play again March 14-15, exactly a month from this weekend.

This past weekend, the Gophers were swept by the Wisconsin Badgers both with a score of 2-1. Taylor Cammarata (@Cammy12Scores) was able to put one past Rumpel on Thursday night and Seth Ambroz (@Ambroz17) scored the lone goal on Friday night. The Gophers had not been swept in nearly two years, the last time being February 10-11, 2012 at Denver. The Badgers haven't swept the Gophers at the Kohl Center since 1999, although they did sweep the Gophers in 2008-09 at Mariucci. Definitely a tough loss, and a hard fought game on both sides. Both Joel Rumpel and Adam Wilcox played phenomenal. Rumpel stopped 59 of the 61 shots he faced which ultimately led the Badgers to a sweep and the B1G's First Star weekly honor. 

Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines are 14-7-3 overall this season, 6-3-1 in the B1G whereas the Gophers are 19-4-5 overall this season, and 8-2-2 in the conference. The Minnesota Gophers have the most wins over Michigan than any other team in college hockey with an overall record of 128-117-15. Minnesota is Michigan's second oldest rivalry. Both teams were a part of the WCHA from 1951-1981 before Michigan moved to the CCHA before the 1981-82 season.

In 1993 the Mariucci-Renfrew Trophy shown above was created for the winner of the annual Minnesota vs. Michigan hockey game. The trophy is named after legendary coaches John Mariucci (Minnesota) and Al Renfrew (Michigan). The trophy will be awarded to the team with the most points after the weekend's series.

John Mayasich
This Friday, February 14, Minnesota will honor U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer (inducted in 1976) John Mayasich during the game against Michigan. There will be a pre-game ceremony that Mayasich will be part of and he will also drop a ceremonial puck to start off the series. Mayasich is Gopher Hockey's all-time leading scorer, and he is the only Gopher to have his jersey - 8 - retired. Mayasich has an Olympic silver medal from the 1956 games along with a gold medal from the 1960 games.

Defense
The Gophers remain ranked No. 2 for most goals scored by a defensive unit. Altogether our defense has scored 22 of our 97 goals. Denver is the only team that has more goals scored by defensemen with 24 goals.

Freshman
The Gophers also remain ranked No. 2 for most goals scored by a freshman class in the NCAA. The Gophers freshman have scored 37 out of the 97 goals so far this season. Boston College is the only team that has more goals scored by a freshman class with 38 goals. Two out of the many outstanding freshman that decided to attend the University of Minnesota this year are Justin Kloos (@jkloos15) and Hudson Fasching (@Hfasching22). Fasching is familiar with Ann Arbor, MI, the home to the Michigan Wolverines, as he played two seasons with the USA National Team Development Program there. Both Kloos and Fasching are tied for most goals by freshman on the Gopher Hockey team and ranked 12th in the nation with 9 goals each. Kloos is 9-15--24 this season and Fasching is 9-13--22. Cammarata follows at 6-10--16 this season.

Junior Class
The Minnesota Gophers junior class has scored 41 of the 97 goals this season. Interestingly enough, every single junior on the team has tallied at least one goal this season. Ambroz leads the way with 12 goals, followed by Sam Warning with 10, Travis Boyd (@Tboyd93) with 8, Kyle Rau (@KyleRau) with 7, Ben Marshall with 3, and Christian Isackson (@ChristianIsacks) with 1. The three teams that are ranked above Minnesota with highest scoring junior class in the NCAA cannot say that all of their juniors have tallied a goal. Mercyhurst ranks No. 1 followed by Ohio State and Air Force, respectively.

Captain Condon
Nate Condon (@Condo16) remains 6 points away from reaching the milestone of 100 career points. His all-time career stats with the Minnesota Gophers are 36-58--94. So far this season, Condon is 5-11--16.

Mike Reilly

Mikey Reilly (@mreilly93) is 8-14--22 in the 28 games he has played this season. Reilly leads all B1G Ten defensemen in both goals and points this season, followed by Wisconsin's Jake McCabe (7-12--19). Reilly is tied for No. 4 nationally for defenseman with most goals this season. Out of our five sophomores on the team (one is Wilcox), Mikey has scored 8 out of the 12 goals by sophomores this season. Brady Skjei (@BradySkjei) has scored 3 goals this season and AJ Michaelson has one. Ryan Reilly is the other sophomore on the team, which means I'm still waiting for my Reilly from Reilly and Reilly goal.

Good luck to the Gopher Men's Hockey team as they face the Michigan Wolverines this weekend. They play Friday at 8:00pm and Saturday at 7:00pm. Friday night's game will be broadcasted (watch) on BTN and Saturday night's game will be on FSN. Both games will be streamed (listen) on 1500 ESPN.

Skate With The Gophers

Happy Birthday to A.J. Michaelson, a sophomore on the Gopher Hockey team, he's the big 2-0 today!

Kyle Rau (7)

The Gophers hosted the annual Skate With The Gophers event today, and as always it was a great opportunity and a fun time. It was fun meeting the players, skating with them, and also watching them interact with the kids and fans that were there. Hope Jake Bischoff (@jakebischoff22) feels better after taking a hit to the head against Wisconsin this weekend. He was the only Gopher player unable to be present at Skate With The Gophers.

Vinni Lettieri (19)

The players were great with the kids and were very willing to talk to the fans that came out for the event. It was fun watching the players play little chasing games with the kids on the ice and watching them just skate around with the kids. Vinni Lettieri (@19Lettieri95) had about four kids attached to him towards the end of the day.

Mike Reilly (@mreilly93) decided to provoke Goldy (@GoldytheGopher) by pulling his tail while they were on the ice, which then resulted in Mikey getting snow down the back of his jersey.

Goldy, Mikey Reilly (5)

One of my favorite parts of the day was watching the awe in the kids' eyes as they talked to the players and asked for their autographs. A lot of kids were shy to begin with, but once the players started asking about their day and if they skated yet the kids opened up and were a lot more talkative. While other kids had an endless amount of courage and had no problem approaching the Gophers.

Sometimes we forget what it's like to be a kid with big dreams. We still have dreams as we grow up, but our priorities change. So many of the kids that were there today hope and dream to become a Gopher someday, just like the current Gopher players did at some point in their lives. To the kids that look up to them and see them as role models, meeting the players is like meeting their heroes.

Along with forgetting what it's like to be a kid, I think we forget that even the Gopher Hockey players are just normal kids. Yes, someday a lot of them will make it in the NHL and be playing professional hockey. But for now, they're just kids taking classes at the University of Minnesota while playing their favorite sport. Being 'starstruck' is understandable, but at the same time, they're just like us. Having class with some of the players this semester has made me realize this a lot more, but it's still hard to not think of where they will be in the next 5 years.

There were other activities going on up on the concourse aside from the skating. They had a shooting skills competition, which even Ben Marshall and Tom Serratore (@Serratore1489) couldn't perfect. The kids were ecstatic to see the Gophers shoot at the targets in the net. Ben mentioned that he couldn't "shoot the pucks right" (they were plastic), but in the end, he completely knocked out a target.

Ben Marshall (10), Tom Serratore (14)

They also had a basketball game on the concourse and the opportunity to take pictures with the NCAA trophies and the North Star College Cup. There were cardboard cutouts of Kyle Rau (@KyleRau) and Adam Wilicox that kids could take pictures with too. 

Defending The Blue Line (@DefTheBlueLine) had a fundraiser going on where you could buy signed pucks by former Gopher Hockey players and current NHL players like Nick Bjugstad (@NBjugstad72) and Blake Wheeler. The Gopher Hockey cheerleaders (@GopherHkyCheer) were also raising money for the Polar Plunge that they are taking part in.

Gabe Guertler (27), Mike Reilly (5)

It was great meeting the players and being able to talk to them. I wanted a picture with Mikey, and Gabe (@gabeguerts8) felt left out so he decided to jump in the picture! It's interesting to see how the players act just because they all have such different personalities and interact with people differently.

It's amazing thinking that some, if not all, of these players will be playing in the NHL someday. One thing that the Gophers have been known for in the past are the players opting to leave the program early. One fan today struck up a conversation with me about the Gophers from last year that are playing in the NHL like Nick Bjugstad (he just had his 13th goal of the season Friday night), Erik Haula (@EHaula), Nate Schmidt (@nateschmidt29), and the other players in the minor leagues right now. He mentioned how tempting it can be when these organizations dangle money in front of these 20-year-old kids, and it definitely is a hard decision making process that they need to go through. These players play at such a high caliber that many of them have been drafted to the NHL already. It's great seeing these players move on to the next level, but it's also sad to see them go. They're class acts and phenomenal athletes. The Gopher Hockey players have so much potential that it'll be fun to continue to watch them grow into even greater athletes and role models than they are today. 

Hudson Fasching (22)

A huge thank you goes out to both the Gopher Hockey and Gopher Sports Marketing programs for taking the time and effort to put together this great event. It's definitely tough coming back from two losses and not getting back in to the cities until 3:30 in the morning, so a huge thanks also goes out to the players for taking the time out of their busy schedules to interact with their fans. It's awesome to see the little kids excited to skate on the ice at Mariucci, meet the Gopher Hockey players, and the Gopher Hockey cheerleaders. I'm sure there were a lot of the future Gophers there today!

Remember, always take the time to dream as if you were a kid again.

What type of fan are you?

We all know there's plenty of sports fans out there. Whether it's little kid sports, high school sports, college sports, or professional sports, there's a fan out there of every kind. So, what type of fan are you?

The Mom
Hockey moms are always animated at the games, but that goes with mostly every sport. Their kid is never wrong and can never make a mistake during the game. There will be a lot of yelling and cheering, even though the kid cannot hear what they're saying. But, once the game is over, they'll always be there to support their child after the game regardless of the outcome.

The Biased
No matter what goes on in the game, this person always think the refs are against them. They will always make up excuses for their team instead of accepting the loss. Some of these fans are educated, but some are just huge supporters of their team regardless of the rankings and statistics.

The Emotional
There are plenty of fans in the sports world, and getting emotional isn't abnormal. For people that aren't sports fans, they can see this as a little ridiculous. The stages of emotions can range anywhere from excitement, to anger, to depression (aka Minnesota sports fans).

The Superfan
You can see this fan shirtless with something painted on their chest at every game. Or with their face painted. Or just decked out in their team's colors, probably with a crazy wig on too. Oh, and they'll be shouting anything that comes to mind throughout the game, a lot of times at the opposing team's players.

The Excessive Drinker
This fan is definitely more interested in the experience than the game itself. They'll be feeling pretty good throughout the game, chatting it up with fans around them, and yelling at the players on the ice, field, court, etc.

The Heckler
You can find this fan making rude comments to other team's fans and players. They tend to like hearing themselves talk and will say anything that comes to mind. These fans may also be the ones throwing popcorn at the game.

The Coach
Regardless of the coach already coaching the team, there's always someone that thinks they can coach the team better. Even though the players can't hear them, that isn't stopping them from yelling out what the coach is doing wrong, and what the players should be doing instead.

The Gambler
Plenty of fans bet on games, whether it's with a family member for $5 or for a bigger cost. They can multitask while at the games, and play the odds well. But it's quite a downfall if or when their team loses and in turn, they lose the bet.

The Bandwagon-er
As teams continue to advance and rise among the rankings, you'll see these fans pop up out of nowhere (usually during playoffs). Maybe they do know something about the team, but typically these fans start supporting teams once they start winning, regardless of their lack of support before.

The Girlfriend
This can be the girlfriend of either a player on the team or fan that loves to watch the games. Some are very educated about the game and have taken the time to learn, while others are there just to please their boyfriend/husband while trying to be interested in what's happening.

The Casual
They pay attention to sports, but aren't constantly watching or keeping up with teams. Nothing to do? These fans don't have a problem flipping on a game or ESPN. Keeping up with teams or sports in general isn't a major priority, but they still enjoy a good game.

The Die-Hard
This fan knows all the players on the teams, all the positions, and all the statistics to be known on the team and the players. They never miss a game whether they can be there in-person, watch it on TV, listen to it on the radio, or keep up with it on social media or the team's app on their phone. They never give up on their team no matter the outcome.

There are plenty of other categories that sports fans can fall into, but these are some of the ones you see most often at the game, in a bar, or at school/work. Although some types of fans are more annoying than others, at least they're a fan right?

REMINDER: The Minnesota Gophers play the Wisconsin Badgers tonight at 8:00pm on BTN (watch) and 1500 ESPN (listen). The Badgers are looking for a series sweep and the Gophers are looking for redemption against their rivals. Taylor Cammarata (@Cammy12Scores) had the lone goal in the Gophers 2-1 loss against the Badgers last night.

Taylor Cammarata (13)

It's not too late to sign up for Skate With The Gophers on Saturday, February 8, 2014! It's a great opportunity to meet the players, skate with them, and get their autographs! 

Minnesota Gophers vs. Wisconsin Badgers Weekend Preview

Mariucci Arena

I wanted a way to just ramble on, whether anyone reads it or not doesn't matter.

If I mention a twitter handle, feel free to go follow them!

Gopher Hockey has become a part of my life and I'm not quite sure how. I've been watching the boys in my hometown play since the Pee Wee days and it turned out that some of my best friends in high school played hockey. I guess you could say my interest for hockey started when I was young, although I never played. So when I decided to come to the University of Minnesota, it was time to find a new team to follow.

I absolutely love the energy that Gopher Hockey brings to the campus, along with the other Division I Sports we have. I can never seem to get enough of it, I love reading articles about the team and about the players. I enjoy looking up stats on the team just for fun and watching the rankings on a weekly basis. Although I know my knowledge of hockey is no where near others, I like to use statistics to back up my thoughts.

This weekend the No. 1 ranked Golden Gopher Hockey team is playing the No. 12 ranked Wisconsin Badgers. No matter how many years go by, there will be a rivalry between the two schools and the two teams and it will always be deemed as a Border Battle. The energy is always hyped for these games and the players love it. 

As of right now, Nate Condon (@Condo16) is the only Wisconsin native on Minnesota's roster. In fact, Condon is only the third non-Minnesotan to wear the C on his jersey. It definitely says something about this player's leadership skills both on and off the ice. 

Kyle Rau (7), Nate Condon (16)

There are a few things to note about this weekend and the weekend series. 

Nic Kerdiles, a sophomore forward who has been out with a shoulder injury since January 4 will be returning to Wisconsin's lineup this weekend against the Gophers. 

Skate With The Gophers is happening this Saturday, February 8 from 12-3. For more information on how to sign up and the day's events, please go to this link: Skate With The Gophers. This is a great opportunity to not only meet the players, but also skate with them and get their autographs!

Nate Condon has skated in 143 consecutive games for the Gophers, and in his four years with the University, he has only missed one game (the second game of his freshman season). Captain Condon is currently 36-58--94, a mere 6 points away from reaching the milestone of 100 career points.

Mikey Reilly (@mreilly93) leads all B1G Ten defensemen in points so far this season. Reilly is 8-14--22 and is currently on a streak of tallying assists. Mikey has tallied an assist in the last 5 games that the Gophers have played. He tallied two assists against Ohio State, St. Cloud State, and Minnesota Duluth. He also had an assist in each game against Michigan State this past weekend. 

The Reilly Brothers

Semi-related to this weekend's series, but Mike Reilly is not the only Reilly on the Gopher Hockey team. He has two brothers also on the team, twins to be exact. Ryan (@rreilly08), Connor (@CReilly81), and Mikey all describe playing together on the same team at Minnesota as a dream come true. However this isn't the first time the three of them have played together. The Reilly brothers went to high school at Academy of Holy Angels where they all played together and they also played juniors together. They were a part of BCHL's Penticton Vees, where they played alongside Mario Lucia (@MLucia2293) during that time. Last weekend's series against Michigan State was the first time all three brothers played a series together. Very cool moment for them, however I'm still patiently waiting for my Reilly from Reilly and Reilly goal. 

Connor Reilly (21), Ryan Reilly (9), Mikey Reilly (5)

Injuries are keeping two Gophers out of the lineup. Jake Parenteau (@jacobjames6) just returned to the lineup during the North Star College Cup after suffering a broken leg. Last weekend was the first full weekend series that he was able to play. Tom Serratore (@Serratore1489) and Michael Brodzinski (@Mbrodzinski20) are both out with lower body injuries. I saw Brodzinski at the last game and it looked like he had a brace around his knee and a slight limp. Hoping to see those two back in the lineup soon, although it is giving other players a chance to play. We'll see if R. Reilly is back in the lineup this weekend or if A.J. Michaelson will get the chance.

Seth Ambroz (@Ambroz17) has been known for his empty net goals this season and his horrible post-goal celebrations (VIDEO: Ambroz' Celly). He is tied with Cole Gunner of Air Force for first nationally with 4 empty-net goals. The last time the Gophers played the Badgers, Ambroz recored FOUR GOALS against them - including both game-winning goals. On Saturday (November 30) Ambroz recorded his fourth goal with just 26 seconds left to clinch the series win against the Badgers. Hoping to see another big weekend from the junior.

The Freshmen Class continues to produce goals for the Gophers. So far this season, 36 of the 95 goals that the Gophers have were scored by a freshman. They are ranked second with the most goals from a freshmen class in the NCAA. Boston College is ranked first with 37 goals from their freshmen.

Defense wins championships, right? Well if the football reference applies to hockey, then I'd say the Gophers are doing pretty well. The Gophers defensemen have scored 22 out of the 95 goals so far this season. They too are ranked second with the most goals from defensemen in the NCAA. Denver is ranked first with 23 goals from their defensemen. 

Adam Wilcox has won two straight B1G Ten Weekly Honors. His shutout last Saturday against the Michigan State Spartans earned him the Second Star this week. Wilcox definitely is our "Iron Man" and he has played his role well in my opinion. I know coming into his freshman year people were concerned that he would be unable to fill Kent Patterson's shoes, or should I say skates. However, Wilcox has dominated in games and as of last year, earned the starting position. 

The Streak of unbeaten games is the longest active streak in the nation, currently held by the Gophers at 14. In the streak, the Gophers are 10-0-4. The longest streak in the record books for Minnesota was during the 2006-07 season. The Gophers went unbeaten in 22 games and were 19-0-3 during that stretch. 

Congratulations to Travis Boyd (@Tboyd93) who skated in his 100th career game this past Friday against the Michigan State Spartans. 

Recently read a couple of good articles in case you're interested. I learned new things about both Hudson Fasching (@Hfasching22) and Vinni Lettieri (@19Lettieri95). The article about Hudson is a little dated, but it's a great story about how he has built his character and how much his success means to him and his family. The article about Vinni is a great look into his 'famous' family and it also talks about his good fashion sense. 

I don't know if I'll keep writing about this or other topics, just wanted to try it out and see what happens! 

Good luck to the Gopher Men's Hockey team against the Wisconsin Badgers this weekend! They play tonight, Thursday, at 7:30pm and tomorrow night at 8:00pm. Both games will be broadcasted on BTN (watch) and streamed on 1500 ESPN (listen).